You know how sometimes there is that movie critic that just gets movies the same way that you do? Or that stand up comedian who's style of humor is in perfect sync with your personality? Sometimes I encounter writers/thinkers who are strikingly similar in their process to my own. I discovered Matt Waldman's Scouting Portfolio last year and I am not sure if I have disagreed with him on a prospect evaluation since.

Like many of you know, I was banging the drum for Russell Wilson before the 2012 draft. It wasn't a big club. Matt Waldman was one of the charter members, and he made a big deal about Wilson's quest to break the NFL free of it's "Flutiephobia" last offseason. Waldman's excellent writing was recognized when Football Outsiders hired him to be their draft expert, and his very first article at FO was none other than the "Asterisk" article about Russell Wilson that has since been linked on this message board countless times.

To me, Wilson is like the Godfather. Quiet, charming, refined, but he’ll rip your heart out. I’m sitting with 20 of my best Footballguys in Vegas two weeks ago, and we’re watching the Seahawks fall behind early, but I didn’t even worry because Wilson is all business.

Edit: After reading Waldman's first comment in the comment section, that settles it. I've been cloned. (Waldman, comletely out of nowhere, advocates strongly for DeAndre Hopkins to Seattle in round 1.)

"To me, Wilson is like the Godfather. Quiet, charming, refined, but he’ll rip your heart out." - I really liked this phrase. It also describes Russell Wilson to a T. I'm so excited to see what he can bring to the table next year now that he has a year under his belt. With that being said, the league also has a season worth of footage to go by, so that alone makes for an interesting dynamic when looking into Seahawk's future at QB. I'd be interested in knowing what Matt Waldman thinks about Matt Flynn.

At the senior bowl last year, Waldman had access to the caoches film of the practices, and he noted that Wilson was making more reads per pass than anyone else. I also find myself agreeing with just about everything he says.

rjdriver wrote:Bur does Waldman want the niners to win the Super Bowl?

Probably not an identical clone:)

Great read though

I actually want the Niners to lose the Superbowl, but I wouldn't complain if they won it. I just wanted them to make it. It was poor wording on my part when I said I would root for the Niners "the rest of the way."

I'm rooting for the Ravens big time this week. I probably would be even if their opponent wasn't SF.

hawker84 wrote:DeAndre Hopkins.? 6'1" 200lbs , not great speed, good route runner and good timing.. don't we already have one of these in Rice?

other than that good read..

I don't know about you but I'd love to get a second Sidney Rice. Hopkins is a stud. Having two #1ish WRs for an elite QB is more than a mere luxury, IMO.

drdiags wrote:Sure would be of interest to me to read what he had to say about the coaches he disagreed with. The fact some other coaches were concerned with his comments tweaked my interest.

This is almost certainly a reference to the NC State head coach who moronically forced Wilson out. Wilson only transferred to Wisconsin after he had learned that his starting job had already been given to Mike Glennon.